The Gakkel Ridge, encased under the frozen Arctic Ocean, is steep and rocky, and scientists suspect its remote location hosts an array of undiscovered life. Researchers hope newly developed robots will give them their first look at the mysterious ridge located between Greenland and Siberia.Scientists from the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution on Cape Cod plan to begin a 40-day expedition of the ridge on July 1. They plan to use the robots to navigate and map its terrain and sample any life found near a series of underwater hot springs.Tim Shank, lead biologist on the international expedition, said researchers have no idea what new life at the ridge might be like.

Exotic sea creatures never before seen by man. New varieties of plants and animals. Maybe even the clues to the origin of life on this planet.All that could be discovered when an international team of scientists takes a first-ever peek under the ice packs of the Arctic Ocean next month, providing the world with a glimpse of an ocean region that has been in isolation from nearly all other ecosystems for at least 26 million years.

Watch it live

The WHOI expedition to the Gakkel Ridge is scheduled to leave July 1 and last 40 days. Follow the mission live on the Internet at www.divediscover.whoi.edu.